silencers

Georgia-based Liberty Suppressors yesterday announced a recall on a portion of their Leonidas integral suppressor line:

Liberty Suppressors has noticed a problem with some of our Leonidas integral suppressors. The problem stems from a running change with the Seekins Precision iRMT-R upper receiver units.At some point in the last year, Seekins Precision made a running change to the style of retaining nut used on these uppers and we did not realize it, until today. If you have one of our Leonidas integrals with the barrel nut as shown below, please discontinue use of the upper and call us to get it returned and updated free of charge. Use of this upper in this condition could cause catastrophic failure. Please call us to get your upper updated immediately.

Please see the attached images for clarification of whether your upper is affected or not.

A few weeks ago, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and representatives from Daniel Defense and Sig Sauer hosted Washington DC-based media for a suppressor demo day at a range in Manassas, Virginia.

Media members, including those from the Associated Press as shown in the video, had the opportunity to fire suppressed rifles and pistols for themselves and to get an education on suppressor (a.k.a. silencer) basics. Company reps explained how suppressors are not assassin’s tools that enable gun-ninjas to perpetrate undetectable crime but, rather, reduce the report of a firearm from louder-than-a-jet-engine to about-like-a-jack-hammer – helping to get it closer to OSHA hearing-safe levels.

The Washington Post — in one of its rare reversions to journalism – recently issued a fact check that handed Americans for Responsible Solutions and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) three Pinocchios for overstating the noise-canceling properties of firearm suppressors. “There is little that’s quiet about a firearm with a silencer, unless one also thinks a jackhammer is quiet,” the report concluded.

The context was the debate over the Hearing Protection Act (HPA). This bill would treat suppressors as if they were ordinary firearms for federal regulatory purposes, rather than the current practice of treating their sales as if they were machine guns, which are subject to much more cumbersome rules designed to discourage ownership.

Suppressors’ popularity has increased exponentially in recent years, as firearm owners have embraced the health-promoting and experience-enhancing benefits of their use.

And while they do decrease the report of firearms, they do not, as the Post fact check accurately reported, render them anywhere near “silent.”

Who could possibly argue with technology that can reduce hearing loss associated with firearm use? Certainly not the Washington Post, which in its March 20 fact check stated, “We obviously take no position on whether this proposed law would be good or bad …. “

With Silencers About to be Available Over the Counter (Fingers Crossed), Let’s Take a Closer Look at How They Work.

The American people spoke loud and clear last Tuesday when they elected the Republican candidate to the highest political office in the United States in addition as well as holding Republican majorities in both the US House and Senate. The same sentiment echoed across the country, such as in Kentucky, where voters not only flipped the state’s House of Representatives to a Republican majority for the first time in nearly 100 years, but they did it by a landslide 64-35 margin.

Regardless of how many might feel about various positions held by various candidates, it appears that American gun owners are in for what we hope is a good (at least) four year stretch. A major part of President-Elect Trump’s platform was his strong support for Second Amendment Rights. Given the list of pro-RKBA politicians and industry insiders that he has already named to his Second Amendment Coalition, chances are good that we may see some positive movement in the arena of existing and future firearms legislation.

With dreams of over-the-counter suppressor availability via just a 4473 and NICS background check (and no $200 tax stamp or year-long wait) just on the horizon, let’s take a look at how suppressors work Continue reading →

NRAAM Starts Off With a pffffttt.

The American Suppressor Association (ASA) hosted their third annual media day in tandem with the NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits in Louisville, Kentucky, today – one day ahead of the exhibit floor opening to attendees – and the GunLink team was there to take part in the invitation-only event. The Media Day event, held at Knob Creek Gun Range, was an excellent opportunity to get hands on experience with some of the newest gun mufflers on the market. Now is a great time to buy and own NFA items like suppressors, despite some of the new hurdles placed in front of some owners by the 41F ruling.

The ASA touts itself as the unified voice of the suppressor industry with a mission “to unite and advocate for the common interests of suppressor manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and consumers” by lobbying at the state and federal levels, educating the public, and providing industry research. ASA’s main objectives include raising public awareness, relaxing ownership laws in the 9 remaining states which do not allow private ownership, relaxing hunting regulations that prohibit the use of such hearing protection equipment, and fixing issues with the NFA – including the bottlenecks that result in lengthy wait times.

Governor Branstad Signs HF2279 Into Law

In an update to yesterday’s story about support for gun mufflers in Iowa and New Hampshire, Iowa’s governor has signed the proposed legislation into law, making suppressors legal for civilian ownership.

Iowa has become the 42nd state to legalize suppressors. House File 2279, a bill introduced by Rep. Matt Windschitl and Rep. Terry Baxter, recently passed the Iowa Senate Judiciary Committee on March 2, 2016 by a wide margin of 11-2. The bill moved through the Iowa Senate without issue, and has now been signed by Governor Terry Branstad.

After three years of efforts by the American Suppressor Association, the National Rifle Association, and the Iowa Firearms Coalition to educate lawmakers on the benefits and realities of suppressors, HF 2279 was met with positive response.

This victory in Iowa is bringing hope to the eight other states where suppressors are still illegal for civilians to own. As part of their “No State Left Behind” campaign, the American Suppressor Association will now turn its attention to those states, including California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York.

Joshua Waldron, CEO of SilencerCo, says “SilencerCo has been a strong supporter of the American Suppressor Association since its inception. We’re proud of the hard work they have put behind HF 2279 along with the help of the NRA and the Iowa Firearms Coalition. Because of the determination and educational push by these groups, Iowans can now enjoy the same rights as are held by law-abiding citizens in 41 other states.”

There is also proposed legislation to remove suppressors from the purview of the National Firearms Act (NFA) altogether through the Hearing Protection Act.